Hope cries as Cami speeds away from the destroyed hideout to find a pay phone. She spots one outside a mechanic’s garage but drops all her change before she can use it. She hears a noise and yells out that she’ll gouge out the eyes of anyone who plans to hurt her or the baby. Fortunately, it’s Elijah, and he ushers the two of them into his car.
He gets word to Hayley that they’re on the road, so she packs a bag the next day to join them. Klaus is much less worried about his daughter, since he’s working on a plan to ensure everyone’s safety. He reminds Hayley that she’s supposed to get married today. She’ll be a queen to an army, and a queen doesn’t run.
At St. Anne’s, Josh has recovered from whatever Finn did to mess with the vampires, and he’s grateful to Davina and Aiden for saving him. Kol kicks him out so he can be alone with Davina, having been away from her for a whole day. She’s annoyed that he stayed away and didn’t let her know he was okay. He jokes that they’re “going steady.” To make it up to her, he invites her to finish the Klaus-killing dagger with him.
The alphas from the ritual Mary did with Jackson in the bayou are all dead, thanks to Finn’s vampire attack, so Aiden knows their packs are going to be looking for revenge. Jackson doesn’t want any blame to fall on the vampires, since they were under the influence of Finn’s magic. Klaus arrives with a special wedding present for Jackson: the heads of all the werewolves who wouldn’t give up their moonlight rings. Jackson tells him that the wolves aren’t his army. Klaus basically ignores him and says the wedding will take place at the Compound that night. “Am I crazy or did he just do his version of a nice thing?” Jackson asks Aiden.
Freya goes to the morgue where Finn’s body (well, Vincent’s body) was taken after the explosion. Meanwhile, Kol and Davina get to work in the Claire tomb. Freya confirms that Finn is wearing her pendant necklace and does a spell as Kol and Davina do theirs. They think they’ve been successful, so they start kissing, but Kol’s curse is starting to progress. After some chanting from Freya, Finn wakes up.
Kol tells Davina he’s fine, since he hasn’t admitted yet that Finn cursed him to die. He tells her to hold on to the Klaus-killing dagger for now. He invites her to the wedding, and she warns that if there’s music, she’ll make him dance with her. As she leaves, Kol calls Rebekah and asks for a favor.
Rebekah was supposed to help Hayley get ready for the wedding, but she has to bow out to help Kol. She brings Hayley a dress, even though Hayley hadn’t planned on wearing one. Rebekah says she commissioned wedding dresses in five different centuries but never got married. (I assume it’s because Klaus killed all her fiancés.) Hayley teases that it’s not too late, since Marcel is still available. She asks if Rebekah has gone to see him in her new body yet. Rebekah’s worried about complicating things, and she’s not sure how long she’ll be out of her normal body anyway. She tells Hayley that even though she’s marrying outside the family, she’s still a Mikaelson and always will be. Hayley’s like, “Thanks, but can I be part of a family with a few less insane murderers?”
Josh meets up with Aiden, who’s hugely relieved to see that he’s okay. He tells Josh that a bunch of wolves are coming to the Quarter for Hayley and Jackson’s wedding, and afterward, they’ll be able to turn at will. That makes them even more dangerous to vampires. Aiden thinks he and Josh should take a break. Josh guesses that Aiden just doesn’t want to get caught dating a vampire. Aiden argues that he’s trying to keep Josh safe; dating Aiden makes him a target. Josh notes that he hasn’t been safe for a while now, so that’s not a good reason to end things.
Jackson goes to the Compound, where hired/compelled staff are setting up for the wedding. He and Hayley are both a little uncomfortable with how fancy everything is going to be. Cami and Elijah arrive with Hope, and Klaus assures Hayley that no one will be able to get to her in the Compound. Plus, once the wolves get her hybrid traits, they’ll have more bodyguards than they need. “No more running, queen,” Klaus promises. Hayley happily introduces Jackson to Hope as Elijah stands nearby, basically forgotten.
He checks in with Klaus, who warns him not to try to keep Hayley from getting married. Everyone knows that Elijah’s in love with Hayley, but they both have duties to fulfill. Elijah notes that this was Hayley’s decision, and he hopes Klaus didn’t pressure her into anything. Klaus says that they’re building an army and Hayley will do what’s asked of her. Elijah threatens to call the whole thing off if he thinks Klaus is making her sacrifice to solidify a “political alliance.” Klaus replies that Hayley’s putting their family first and Elijah needs to do the same.
Kol and Rebekah try to do a spell, but he gets frustrated by the inevitability of his death. She thinks he’s giving up. He used to laugh in the face of death. Kol says it’s easier to do that when you haven’t already died once. He kind of prefers what’s happening this time, since he doesn’t have heightened emotions or blood lust. It’s just him, at least for a while.
Hayley gets ready, promising Hope that they’ll have plenty of time together after the wedding (during which Cami will be babysitting). Elijah comes by her room to make his feelings known one last time before Hayley marries someone else. She doesn’t want to hear it, since he’s taken this long to say how he feels. She thinks she can be happy with Jackson, and being happy is all she wants. Whatever Elijah was going to say might ruin that, so he shouldn’t say it.
Aiden hangs out with Jackson while he gets ready, since the person who would ordinarily be there, Oliver, is dead. Aiden asks if Jackson really thinks the werewolves and vampires will be able to get along. Jackson doesn’t care how they feel about their leaders’ truce – they need to move on from old rivalries and focus on new enemies. But he guesses that what Aiden’s really concerned about is whether it’s okay for him to date Josh.
Jackson has known Aiden a long time and has already made it clear that he has no problem with Aiden’s sexuality. As for him dating a vampire, Jackson thinks Josh is good enough for Aiden, so there’s nothing to discuss. Aiden’s worried about Josh getting caught in the middle of the factions’ war. Jackson tells him that it’s important to have something to fight for if you want to win.
Hayley breaks the tradition of not letting the groom see the bride before the wedding and helps Jackson with his tie. She says she was nervous and wanted to see him before they make their big commitment. He gives her a necklace with a stone he says is her “mineral totem,” a moss agate. (I guess it’s the wolves’ version of a birthstone.) It symbolizes courage and healing. Jackson wants Hayley to have something that’s just hers, since she’s wearing Rebekah’s dress and getting married in Klaus’ house.
Davina sits with Josh, Marcel, and Gia as the wedding guests arrive. She moves down a seat so Aiden can be next to Josh. He takes back his request for a break simply by putting his hand on Josh’s. Hayley looks nervous about walking down the aisle but Jackson’s there to walk with her. Klaus looks out at them from a balcony as they meet Mary at the front of the room. Elijah joins Klaus, and Hayley tries to keep her attention on her groom.
Mary says that this unification ceremony is about Hayley embracing her vampire nature and sharing her “unique gifts” with her pack. They couple vows to defend each other and their loved ones, advocate for each other, and be each other’s sanctuaries and families. As they light a candle together, Elijah takes a breath – this is the point of no return, and the woman he’s in love with has officially chosen someone else.
To solidify both the commitment and the unification of the pack, the bride and groom kiss. Elijah looks away. Jackson and Hayley’s eyes briefly glow, as do the eyes of all the wolves in attendance. For all intents and purposes, they’re all hybrids now.
As the festivities shift from ceremony to celebration, Elijah catches Klaus grinning to himself. He’s not sure why Klaus is so happy – Jackson just married the mother of Klaus’ child in his home and is now the alpha of a bunch of wolves Klaus wanted to control. Klaus says Jackson can have Hayley, and his status as alpha won’t last. Elijah protests, not willing to let Klaus hurt Jackson on his and Hayley’s wedding day. Klaus argues that Jackson isn’t one of them. He’s mortal and can die. Klaus presses Elijah to admit how he feels when he sees Hayley with Jackson. He knows Elijah wants Jackson dead as much as Klaus does, maybe more.
Everyone heads to the street for a second line parade. Klaus watches from a balcony, annoyed when Elijah comes to bug him again. He just wants to ask Klaus to hold off from causing any trouble for at least one day. He adds that as long as Hayley is happy with Jackson, Klaus is not to go anywhere near him. Klaus thinks it’s ridiculous that Elijah is defending the life of the guy who married the woman he’s in love with. Then again, Elijah has always wanted what he can’t have. Elijah points out that if Klaus kills Jackson, the wolves will revolt. He can’t act out of fear. And Elijah is sure he’s scared that Jackson will be a better father to Hope than Klaus is.
He continues that Hope is now at the Compound, surrounded by a new protection squad, so Klaus would be foolish to consider jeopardizing the arrangements. Klaus himself said that he might have been a better man if he’d been raised by Ansel. Now he sees a better man entering Hope’s life and it shakes him. Klaus doesn’t think Elijah has any place to psychoanalyze him, considering his own issues. He hopes Elijah enjoyed his time with Cami in the hideout because Klaus took a big risk letting him be alone with her. Elijah reminds Klaus that he’s always stood by and defended him. In Hope and Hayley’s names, Elijah won’t let his brother harm Jackson.
Josh is a little nervous about the fact that Aiden and the other werewolves are now “super-wolves.” Davina notes that at least his boyfriend came to the wedding. She spots Kol in an alley, looking weak, and leaves the parade to go to him. He finally tells her that Finn cursed him and he’s running out of time.
Klaus checks on Hope after hearing her crying (Cami thinks she’s teething – maybe her fangs are coming in?). Other than that, she seems very happy in her new home. Cami can tell that Klaus is down, and she encourages him to be happy because Hayley’s happy. Their combined happiness will trickle down to Hope. The guests return for a reception, and Aiden kisses Josh in front of everyone, as if to announce that he doesn’t care what they think. Elijah sadly watches Jackson and Hayley dancing together.
Klaus brings Hope in and asks Hayley to join him for a toast. He tells the guests that Hope was lost but is now home. The pack will be her family, and Klaus wants them to teach and love her like their own. He looks at Jackson when he says that, and Jackson gives him a nod. Klaus glances up at Elijah on a balcony, then publicly invites Jackson to move into the Compound. He looks back up at Elijah with a taunting smile.
Davina and Rebekah try to find a way to help Kol, but he knows there’s nothing they can do. He asks Davina to dance with him. Back at the Compound, Hayley thanks Elijah for coming to the wedding. He notes that everything has turned out just as she wanted. To maintain the peace, he’s going to move to Algiers and help lead the vampires out there. Hayley doesn’t want to push him out of his home, but obviously he’s not going to stay if Jackson’s moving in.
Rebekah comes by to tell Elijah and Klaus about Kol. Marcel sees the three of them leaving the Compound and guesses that the unfamiliar woman he sees with Klaus and Elijah is Rebekah. Davina cries as she dances with Kol, who wants to look on the bright side: Yes, they’re dancing in a cemetery while he’s dying, but the stars look beautiful. Somewhere, there’s another guy dancing with his girl under the same stars, believing he has all the time in the world. He does, and Kol hates him.
He’s weakening more, and he tells Davina he wants to be alone. Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah arrive to keep that from happening. They’re going to bring him into “always and forever” for his last moments.
Once the guests are all gone, Jackson and Hayley have their wedding night in front of them. He guesses she just wants to sit with Hope, which is fine with him. She tells him that when she first got to New Orleans, she was scared and alone. One night, a wolf came out of the woods and made her feel safe. She knew she could trust him from the first moment she saw him. He never made her feel ashamed for being a hybrid or questioned why she lied about Hope. Jackson says that when he declared his love for her, he meant it. Hayley tells him that’s the first time anyone’s said that to her. She didn’t marry him for the pack – she married him for herself.
Davina does a spell (maybe to ease Kol’s pain) as he tells his brothers and sister that all he ever wanted was for them to care about him. Rebekah cradles him and tells him that since he’s going to die a witch, they’ll consecrate him in New Orleans, which means his spirit can come back. She won’t leave her witch body until she finds a way to resurrect him. Davina hasn’t been successful, but Kol assures her that he’s not scared. He dies looking into her eyes.
At the morgue, Freya has used her pendant (a talisman she uses to focus her power) to fully heal Finn. She gave it to Finn to protect him when he faced Elijah. She protected Finn all the time back when they were children, and now they need each other’s help more than ever. Freya warns that if Dahlia has sensed that Hope is alive, she’ll be on her way to get her. Finn says that since Klaus used magic to cloak Hope from Esther, it’ll take a while for Dahlia to locate her. Freya disagrees – Dahlia is way more powerful than Esther. She found Freya at the age of five, when she’d just started displaying her magic. Hope’s magic will be like a beacon, drawing Dahlia to her. “Dahlia will come, and she will take what’s hers,” Freya says.
Etc.: Kol, buddy, you can’t greet Rebekah on the phone with, “This is your brother.” She has a bunch of brothers.
I love Hayley’s wedding dress. Rebekah has good taste.
Danielle Campbell (Davina) isn’t 100 percent at the same acting level as her co-stars, but she kills it in this episode.
This isn’t Kol’s last episode but it is Daniel Sharman’s, and I’ll miss his take on the character. And his face. And his accent.
An Eternity of Misery 